Highway guard fence



July 9, 1935. c, (:AMPBELL 2,007,467

HIGHWAY GUARD FENCE Filed Aug. 50, 1952 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 9, 1935 I UNITED STATE A ENT OFFICE 2,007,467 menwar GUARD FENCE Calvin Campbell, Denver, 0010., assigno'r to The Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, Denver,

Application August 30, 1932, SerialNo. 631,948

9 Claims.

other vehicles.

A'barrier of this character is fastened at its extremities to the end-posts of the series, usually referred to as the anchoring posts, and it .is an object of the present invention to provide for the support of the barrier duplex end-posts which cooperate to secure the ends of the barrier and to provide a yielding cushion for its lateral deflection underimpact.

Another object resides in providing by medium of the improved anchoring element means to longitudinally tension the barrier, and still other objects reside in details of construction and a novel arrangement of parts as will be brought out in the course of the following description.

A barrier of the type to which this inventionappertains, includes in association with the series of posts and the resilientbarrier fastened to the end-posts of the series, laterally resilient cables or other devices which hold the barrier forwardly of the intermediate posts. A construction of this character has beendisclosed in the application for Patent No. 284,442, of Charles H. Macdonald, filed June 11, 1928, and since the present invention resides principally in the construction and arrangement of the anchoring-elements for securing the ends of the barrier, only those parts Figure 4 is a fragmentar front view of the end-' post of the fence showing a modification in the construction of the barrier,

6-6 of Figure 1, showing a barrier composed of cables,

Figure 6 is a; fragmentary front view similar to t that of Figure 4, showing a barrier composed of 60 cables, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section in the same plane as Figure 5, showing a barrier of the type disclosed in Figure 4.

Referring further to the drawing, it is to be understood that the barrier may be composed Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on the line (01. ass-13.1)

either of two parallel cables, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, or of two parallel ribbons or flats, as

in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or of one wide plate or flat, as shown inFigures 4 and 7.

In order to adapt the present. invention to all 5 of the three types of barriers, slight variations in construction must be resorted to, all of which are to be considered as falling well within the scope of the invention, as defined in the hereunto appendedclaims.

- Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, the barrier is composed of two substantially parallel ribbons or flats 5 of resilient metal, held forwardly of a series of posts 6, by resilient connections 1. The ends of the flats are connected with the anchoring-element of the present invention, which includes two posts, one of which, 8, is at an end and in alinement with the series of intermediate posts, and another of which,.9, is set out of said alinement and rearwardly with 20' relation to the series of ialined posts inclusive of the post 8. The posts, as shown in the drawing, are-made of two channel-bars connected in spaced relation to each other, but it is to be understood that posts otherwise constructed may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The posts 8 and 9 of the anchoring-element ar set in blocks Ill and I2 of concrete or the like, and they have at their lower ends base-plates l3 and I4 to prevent of their being pulled out of the blocks. The post 8 is supported against lateral displacement by a slanting brace l5 anchored in the concrete block ill by a bolt I6, and the two posts 8 and 9 are fastened together and interbraced by a horizontal I-beam H, and by a diagonal IS. The bar I! may be connected to the posts by means of angles l9 and the diagonal may consist of a rod tensioned between the posts by 0 nuts or heads at opposite ends thereof.

The ribbons or flats 5 of the barrier have at their ends, screw-threaded terminal-rods 20 for their connection with the post 9. The latter is, to this end, provided at opposite sides with apertured plates 2| through which the terminal rods extend, nuts 22 at the projecting ends of the rods engaging the outer plates to tension the barriermembers longitudinally and to hold them in their tensioned condition. To cushion the barriermembers for lateral deflection under impact, they bear uponthe post 8 of the anchoring-element through the-intermediary of spiral springs 23.

The springs are disposed between the post and post.

The pins are of square or otherwise angular section, and the holes of the plates through which they extend, are correspondingly formed to prevent rotary displacement of the pins. The heads 26 of the pins are channeled at their faces, to receive the barrier-members 5 and the bottom surfaces of the channels are rounded, as best shown in Figure 1, to facilitate lengthwise movement of the members.

It will be apparent that if thebarrier isstruck by an automobile or other vehicle, it will-give under the impact, not only by its own resilience and the resilience of the connections which hold them forwardly of the intermediate posts, but also by compression of the springs 23, due to lengthwise movement-of the pins 24 in the respective openings of the posts. Cotter pins 21 at the ends of the pins 24 limit their forward movement under the influence of the springs.

A further, important function of thev springs of the anchoring-element resides in resiliently opposing impact of an automobile or other vehicles with theend-portions 5a of the barrier betweenthe posts of the element.

, By these means, the barrier over its entire extent from end to end, is adapted to function as a concussion-deadening medium to withstand im-' pact at any point thereof, with the result of restricting movement of a vehicle moved accidentally into contact with the fence.

The terminal bolts 20 on the end-post provide eflicient means for lengthwise tensioning the parts of which the barrier is composed.

The modified construction of Figures 4 and 7 differs from that hereinbefore described, only in that a single plate or flat" II of resilientmetal takes the place of the two parallel ribbons 5.- The terminal bolts 20 are in this case fastened at the end of the one flat inparallel relation to'each other.

Inthe construction of the anchoring-element, the posts and braces included therein, and the barrier, any suitable fastening means may be em- '82, and in that the channels of the heads of the sliding pins are formed to flt the cables.

The terminal bolts {I engaging the end-post, are in this construction fastened at the ends of .thecables by eyes 13 on thebolts and loops 34 on the c les formed by doubling their end portions an securing the doubled parts by means of U-clamps SI.

,What I claim and desire to secure by Patent is:

Lin a highway guard fence, 9, series of alined Letters posts, a flexible barriertensioned forwardly of the posts, a sliding pin on an end-post, having a channeled and horizontally curving head engaged by the barrier, and

the head.

2. m a highway guard fence, a series of alined maflexibleban'iertensionedforwardlyof' a compression-spring acting upon the posts, a sliding headed pin on an end-post, a

channeled chair pivoted on the head of the pin and engaging the barrier, and a compression spring between the head of the pin and the post.

3. In a highway guard fence, 9. series of alined posts, a flexible barrier suspended forwardly of said series of posts and an anchoring element for the barrier, comprising an end-post for the series and a terminal post out of alinement with the series, the barrier being bent around the end post for connection with the terminal post, a brace and a diagonal tensioning rod connecting the posts, means for fastening the barrier to said terminal post, and cushioning means supporting the -barrier on the end-post.

' 4. In a highway guard fence, a series of alined posts, a flexible barrier suspended forwardly of said series of posts and an anchoring element for the barrier, comprising an end-post for the series composed of spaced members, and a terminal post out of alinement with the series, the barrier being bent around the end post for connection with the terminal post, means for fastening the barrier to said terminal post, apertured plates on the end-post, a headed pin slidable in apertures of the plates, and engaged by the barrier, and a compression-spring between the head of the pin, and one of the plates.

5. In a highway guard fence, a series of alined posts, a flexible barrier, means on the posts for suspending the barrier forwardly of said series, for lengthwise movement relative thereto, anchoring elements for the barrier, each including an end post for the series and a terminal post out of alinement with the series, the barrier being bent around the end post for connection with the terminal post, a cushioning element on the and post engaging the bend of the barrier and thereby tensioning the barrier throughout its entire extent, and means on the terminal post for separate tensioning of the barrier.

6. In a highway guard fence, terminal posts determining the length of a barrier, an end post spaced from a terminal post, a barrier fastened on the terminal posts and suspended forwardly of the end post in spaced relation thereto for lengthwise movement between the terminal posts,

the barrier being bent around the end post, and I a resilient element between the end post and the ben in the barrier to impart lateral tension to the barrier for its rebound after impact at any point thereof.

7. In a highway guard fence, terminal posts determining the length of a barrier, an end post spaced from a terminal post, a resilient barrier fastened on the terminal posts and suspended forwardly of the end post in spaced relation thereto for lengthwise movement between the terminal posts, the barrier being bent around the end post, and a resilient element between the end post and the bend in the barrier to impart lateral tension tothe barrier forits rebound after impact at any point thereof. 1

8. In a highway guard fence, a series of alined posts, a flexible barrier suspended forwardly of said series of posts for lengthwise movement relative thereto and an anchoring element for the barrier, comprising an end post for the series and a terminal post out of alinement with the series, the barrier being bent around the end post for connection with the terminal post, means for fastening the barrier to said terminal post, and cushioning means; on the end post to yieldingly resist movement of the barrier under'impact.

9. In a highway guard fence, a series of alined posts, a flexible barrier suspended forwardly of said series of posts for lengthwise movement relative thereto and. an anchoring element for the 5 barrier, comprising an end-post for the series and a terminal post out of alinement with the series,

the barrier being bent around the end-post for connection with the terminal post, tensioning means for fastening the barrier to said terminal post, and cushioning means io'r loosely supporting I the barrier on the end-post.

' CALVIN CAMPBELL. 

